Japan Press Weekly

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2013 April 24 - May 7 [CIVIL RIGHTS]

Korean youth protest against anti-Korea demonstrations

The Korean Youth Association on April 27 issued a statement to protest against anti-Korea demonstrations repeatedly held in the Okubo district, the well-known Koreatown in Tokyo.

The KYA, an organization affiliated with the Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan), points out that participants in the anti-Korea marches are using hate speech such as “Kill Koreans!” and “Kick them out of our country!” The statement calls for public criticism to be raised and administrative measures taken against the inciters of violence and hatred.

Regarding this problem, a lawyers’ group in late March requested the Metropolitan Police Department to keep an eye on the ultra-nationalist demonstrators in order to secure local residents’ safety.

In March, at an assembly meeting in Shinjuku where the Okubo district is located, Japanese Communist Party representative Sato Keiichi stated that the anti-Korea demonstrations run counter to the ward’s policy to promote a multicultural society.

A ward official in reply gave the ward’s perspective of the demonstration, saying that their chants lack respect for human rights and their activities deny the ward’s efforts to help local residents to develop good relationships with Korean residents.

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The Niccho-Kyokai, a Japan-Korea friendship association, issued a statement on April 28, protesting ultranationalists’ actions and hate speech inciting racial discrimination against Korean residents in Japan.

Related past article
> Lawyers request that police control violent behavior toward foreign residents [March 31, 2013]